# revive

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɹɪˈvaɪv/ · frequency rank #11,596

## Definitions
1. To cause (a person or animal) to recover from a faint; to cause (a person or animal) to return to a state of consciousness.
2. To bring (a person or animal which is dead) back to life.
3. To cause (something) to recover from a state of decline, neglect, oblivion, or obscurity; to make (something) active or lively again; to reanimate, to revitalize.
4. To cause (a feeling, state of mind, etc.) to come back or return; to reactivate, to reawaken.
5. To renew (something) in one's or people's memories or minds; to bring back (something) to (public) attention; to reawaken.
6. To make (something which has become faded or unclear) clear or fresh again; to refresh.
7. To restore (a metal (especially mercury) or other substance in a compound or mixture) to its pure or unmixed state.
8. To give new validity to (a law or legal instrument); to reenact, to revalidate.
9. To put on a new production of (a musical, play, or other stage performance; also, a film or television programme).
10. To bring (someone) back to a state of health or vigour.
11. To rerun (an election).
12. To recover from a faint; to return to a state of consciousness.
13. Of a dead person or animal: to be brought back to life.
14. Of a person, animal, or plant: to return to a state of health or vigour, especially after almost dying.
15. To recover from a state of decline, neglect, oblivion, or obscurity; to become active or lively again; to reanimate, to revitalize.
16. Of a feeling, state of mind, etc.: to come back or return; to be reactivated or reawakened.
17. Of a metal (especially mercury) or other substance in a compound or mixture: to return to its pure or unmixed state.
18. Of a law or legal instrument: to be given new validity.
19. Of a musical, play, or other stage performance; also, a film or television programme: to have a new production put on.

## Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English reviven, revyven (“to recover from illness; to regain consciousness; to return to life after death; to happen again, recur; to be rejuvenated, renewed; (figurative) to bring back; (alchemy) of a metal: to be restored to its original form”), from Anglo-Norman reviver, revivre (“to return to life after death; to rejuvenate, renew; to make (a law or legal document) valid again”), Middle French revivre, and Old French revivre (“to return to life after death; to rejuvenate, renew”) (modern French revivre), and directly from their etymon Latin revīvere, the present active infinitive of revīvō (“to live again”), from re- (prefix meaning ‘again’) + vīvō (“to be alive, survive; to live”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃- (“to live”)).
The noun is derived from the verb.

## Easily confused with
- **revue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revive-vs-revue)
- **revoke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revive-vs-revoke)
- **revived** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revive-vs-revived)
- **revolve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revive-vs-revolve)
- **reeve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reeve-vs-revive)
- **Revis** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revis-vs-revive)
- **review** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/review-vs-revive)
- **remove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/remove-vs-revive)
- **regime** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/regime-vs-revive)
- **recipe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recipe-vs-revive)
- **retire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/retire-vs-revive)
- **reside** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/reside-vs-revive)
- **revise** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revise-vs-revive)
- **recite** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recite-vs-revive)
- **refine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/refine-vs-revive)
- **relive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/relive-vs-revive)
- **ravine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ravine-vs-revive)
- **revere** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/revere-vs-revive)
- **Recife** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/recife-vs-revive)
- **receive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/receive-vs-revive)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ervive`, `reivve`, `reviev`, `revivve`, `revvie`, `revvive`, `rrevive`, `rveive`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/revive